Puttnam's Prairie Emporium
Encyclopedia
Puttnam's Prairie Emporium was a half-hour Canadian
children's television series
which aired for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990, on CTV
before being syndicated on YTV. The series was created and produced by Bruce Edwards, and a total of 51 episodes were taped at CKCK-TV
in Regina, Saskatchewan
, Canada
beginning in 1987.
The series was centred around the titular emporium, a long-standing general store run by eccentric owner Mr. Puttnam (George Alexander), whose daughter Ellen (Coral Crum) and grandchildren Katy (Brandie Mickleborough) and Mark (Jeremy Drummond) have moved in with him. Although the emporium retained the look of an old-fashioned five-and-dime (and the set for the store itself was virtually the only location seen throughout the show's run), there were "things there...you would not believe" and "new adventures all the time" (as mentioned in the show's theme song) which were often of a fantastical nature.
The other-worldly aspects of the series were also reflected in the remainder of the regular cast, which included Ivan (Billy Morton), a scientist
who developed a Time Closet in the confines of the store; Caldicott C. Catt (voiced by John Wilson), a saxophone
-playing cat who lived in a basket on the store's counter; and Benjamin (voiced by Rosco Bell), a talking beefalo
head hanging on the wall behind the counter. The characters would also frequently travel to alternate dimensions to battle dinosaurs, zombies, and robots.
The aforementioned Time Closet was the catalyst for several episodes involving time travel
, to and from both the past and the future. In these episodes, regular castmember George Alexander played Mr. Puttnam's grandfather in sepia-toned scenes set in the early 20th century as well as an older Mark in the future, who would eventually have a daughter named Leonard (who, in turn, travelled back in time to meet her father as a young man) and take over control of the emporium. (One such episode also revealed that at some point in the future, the Province
of California
had broken off from the mainland of North America
and been renamed Trudeau
Island.)
Another intriguing aspect of the show—almost an "inside joke" -- was the use of two "utility players" who appeared in each episode as different guest characters. Ian Paul, an actor with a flair for foreign accents, was one of the players through the series; Drew Snider, another character actor, left the series midway through Season One. They would play gangsters in one show, then battling comic book characters in another (Snider was Captain Marvellous and Paul the evil Doctor Venom). Snider also played Gene, a hippie genie whose bottle was lost at Woodstock and turned up at the Emporium, Insp. Hector Vector, Apollo and Albert Einstein. Paul's roles included a customer who bought cough drops that made him cough, and another (unnamed) superhero.
A rare contribution to a Canadian national television network
from a prairie affiliate, Puttnam’s developed a small but highly enthusiastic following (which persists to this day) for its imaginative writing and quirky characters. Despite its ingenuity and following there are no known plans to broadcast the series again. A DVD release was rumoured for Q2 2008, but according to a posting on the X-Entertainment blog in June 2004 by "Puttnam's Lyrics Writer", the master tapes were likely destroyed years earlier. Some episodes have appeared on YouTube.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
children's television series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
which aired for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990, on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
before being syndicated on YTV. The series was created and produced by Bruce Edwards, and a total of 51 episodes were taped at CKCK-TV
CKCK-TV
CKCK-DT, VHF channel 8 , is a CTV owned and operated television station based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Originally signing on in 1954, CKCK was the first privately owned television station in Western Canada.-History:...
in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
beginning in 1987.
The series was centred around the titular emporium, a long-standing general store run by eccentric owner Mr. Puttnam (George Alexander), whose daughter Ellen (Coral Crum) and grandchildren Katy (Brandie Mickleborough) and Mark (Jeremy Drummond) have moved in with him. Although the emporium retained the look of an old-fashioned five-and-dime (and the set for the store itself was virtually the only location seen throughout the show's run), there were "things there...you would not believe" and "new adventures all the time" (as mentioned in the show's theme song) which were often of a fantastical nature.
The other-worldly aspects of the series were also reflected in the remainder of the regular cast, which included Ivan (Billy Morton), a scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
who developed a Time Closet in the confines of the store; Caldicott C. Catt (voiced by John Wilson), a saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
-playing cat who lived in a basket on the store's counter; and Benjamin (voiced by Rosco Bell), a talking beefalo
Beefalo
Beefalo are a fertile hybrid offspring of domestic cattle, Bos taurus, and the American bison, Bison bison...
head hanging on the wall behind the counter. The characters would also frequently travel to alternate dimensions to battle dinosaurs, zombies, and robots.
The aforementioned Time Closet was the catalyst for several episodes involving time travel
Time travel in fiction
Time travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
, to and from both the past and the future. In these episodes, regular castmember George Alexander played Mr. Puttnam's grandfather in sepia-toned scenes set in the early 20th century as well as an older Mark in the future, who would eventually have a daughter named Leonard (who, in turn, travelled back in time to meet her father as a young man) and take over control of the emporium. (One such episode also revealed that at some point in the future, the Province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
had broken off from the mainland of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and been renamed Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
Island.)
Another intriguing aspect of the show—almost an "inside joke" -- was the use of two "utility players" who appeared in each episode as different guest characters. Ian Paul, an actor with a flair for foreign accents, was one of the players through the series; Drew Snider, another character actor, left the series midway through Season One. They would play gangsters in one show, then battling comic book characters in another (Snider was Captain Marvellous and Paul the evil Doctor Venom). Snider also played Gene, a hippie genie whose bottle was lost at Woodstock and turned up at the Emporium, Insp. Hector Vector, Apollo and Albert Einstein. Paul's roles included a customer who bought cough drops that made him cough, and another (unnamed) superhero.
A rare contribution to a Canadian national television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
from a prairie affiliate, Puttnam’s developed a small but highly enthusiastic following (which persists to this day) for its imaginative writing and quirky characters. Despite its ingenuity and following there are no known plans to broadcast the series again. A DVD release was rumoured for Q2 2008, but according to a posting on the X-Entertainment blog in June 2004 by "Puttnam's Lyrics Writer", the master tapes were likely destroyed years earlier. Some episodes have appeared on YouTube.